04-30-14

Warm day.

Perfect for me at work, walking around the parking lot on breaks.

A little warm for the tennis players.

At least I remembered to wear my sunglasses today for a change!

04-29-14

Warm weather today, heading toward really warm weather.

Wishing I had less inside chores this week, but brought as many projects as possible out to the front porch, and Bruce and I took a nice long walk.

Enjoy!

04-28-14

Tonight we attended a ceremony where the Masonic Lodge honored Anastasia and about 8 kids from each surrounding school with a Junior Achievement Award.

The keynote address was about purpose, perspective, and perseverance.

Congrats Anastasia!  

04-27-14

Oh, look, Mom in the food line again!  I’m the one who got teased for so much piled on my plate though.

Mom is also eating gluten free and without several varieties of beans for her specific situation, so she had to skip the veggie burger.  I, on the other hand, seemed to eat all weekend as if there was a food shortage.

Thankful for time with us three girls again, to see new recipes, and to learn a bit more of the why behind why I try to eat the way I do.

04-26-14

We tried to walk most breaks, in concentric circles around the hotel.  It seems like one of us was always very direction-ally mixed up.  Big landmarks helped, like the Portland marque.

We learned how to read food labels this weekend-

Fat calories no more than 20% of total calories.

Sodium no higher than calories

Sugar not in the top 3 ingredients.

So simple!

“If you’re reading a label you’re eating the wrong food!” – Dr Michael  Gregor

04-25-14

Friday I picked Mom up at the airport, we met Shanna for lunch, and headed to the Engine 2 Retreat in Portland.  It’s hard to describe what the retreat is – foody fun, nutrition education, ammunition or the hyperhealth arena.

For 2 ½ days we had a total of 16 one hour long lectures/food demos/testimonials from doctors, physiologists, chefs, and other plat strong eaters.  We’d also got short breaks, yoga in the morning, and three healthy meals.  Steamed greens, even with breakfast.

The Engine 2 plan is no dairy, no meat, no oil, no refined food.  It is tons of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.  Mom's been living it since February, I go in and out, and Shanna was along for the ride.

04-24-14

After a few days of being stuck inside due to wet weather, was fun to walk the lake this evening.  We noticed a big log bench by the Japanese garden.  Today is like my Friday, yippee!

04/23/14

Bruce is on a painting kick.

Once the paint swatch resurfaced, the bathroom walls got re-painted.  And now the bathroom cabinets, and next the trim on the first floor.  I'm guessing this house could be a full time task.

It's a rewarding and relatively inexpensive improvement, so carry on!

04/22/14

Tonight was parents night for the 30+ students attending SEMI High Tech U for the next three days.  Xander has some interest in Engineering and in exploring careers, so he signed up for this exploratory interactive program to get our in industry for tours, science projects, mock interviews, and other fun. 

Bruce through it looked so cool that he wished he could attend.  I thought it was cool to see first hand what my employer is investing time and dollars in to grow the workforce it needs for the future.

04-21-14

The rain is back.

Anastasia had just started her match when the coaches called it.  The tennis courts get slippery and dangerous and the balls get waterlogged at harder to hit.

April showers...

04-20-14

I had requested a non-consumerist day today, but Bruce thought it was more fun driving around town seeing what was and wasn't open.  We also played 9 holes of Frisbee golf, a few rounds of poker (winner chose dinner restaurant), and had an egg hunt.

04-19-14

Funny how most people around me are frantically getting ready for Easter.  Our Easter is low key, but today is frantic.

Women's breakfast at 8:30am.  Eat high sugar foods.  11am graffiti response team volunteering.  1pm "rainy days" themed adoption baby shower.  Eat more high sugar foods.  5pm church service.  Drink high sugar coffee.

Life is sweet!

04-18-14

TGIF!

Another evening tennis match with some sunshine, life could be much worse.

04-17-14

Three Fischer's volunteered at the Financial Reality Fair tonight. Bruce played the role of Quick Nick, trying to entice participants into taking a paycheck loan.  The one family who did was financially destroyed.  The family I worked with made enough to scrape by, but didn't have enough savings for their housing deposit.  Sounds familiar.

"What's a credit score?" - Favorite quote of the evening

04-16-14

Whoosh, another busy day!

PeEll in the morning, the office in the afternoon, watch Anastasia's tennis meet for awhile, shuttle Xander around town, then to our landlord meeting.

"It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?" - Henry David Thoreau

04-15-14

Happy Tax Day!  Happy birthday to my Mom!  And Happy Key Club Installation Day!

Anastasia got recognized for outgoing President and incoming VP.

Xander got recognized for outgoing and incoming Secretary.

Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership (including character building, caring, and inclusiveness) through helping (community service). Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs.

04-14-14

My baby is 16 today!

With a belly full of Oreos, it seems.  A package at school to share with friends, a package at home to "share" with family.

Not much fanfare, just waiting to drive.

04-13-14

Paddleboarding season is here!  The weather is warm, the lake is smooth, the muscles are ready to move.  Anastasia and I both had  a great trip out this evening.

04-12-14

Here's our favorite barista!  She came home at 9:30 PM starved but full of left over communion juice.

Another beautiful day in Longview...

04-11-14

TGIF!

I guess this squirrel bridge has been up for awhile, but I just noticed it this week, so it is new to me.

Fun gimmick for our town, wish I ever saw a squirrel use any of the bridges.

04-10-14

Cookies!  The kids are living large today - Kraft dinner with hot dogs for dinner, cookies "with eggs and butter!" for dessert.  Mom's away and all heck breaks loose!

04-09-13

Spring has sprung!  The lake is alive with people.  And oh so pretty!

04-08-14

This is our phone.  The phone Bruce doesn't want anymore.  Because we don't get anything but junk calls anymore.

Since I want it left on, I "get" to answer it now.  Tonight it was the University of Montana, interested in Anastasia's college plans.

04-07-14

Bruce thought he'd be able to relax this evening,with all our rentals rented. Ha!

5:30pm Xander needs ride to Key Club meeting
6:15pm To the courts for Anastasia's tennis match
6:45pm Xander needs ride form Key Club to theater pub
7:15 pm Xander needs pick-up at theater pub
8:00 pm Tennis match lasts forever - blazing sunset and all

So, I guess in a way life IS back to normal...

04-06-14

Moving a new tenant in tomorrow, working on final preparations.  Look at the new flooring Bruce laid.  I'm on a "no new carpet" kick, and it was an easy choice in this tiny 516 square foot unit.

Thankful we didn't work on the unit much this weekend, that we only had fifteen empty days, and we are about to get our lives back...

04-05-14

Here I am relaxing.  Got a few good things done today, but mostly did what I felt like when I felt like, including getting caught up on BiggerPockets podcasts and finishing my book.  This weekend was a long time in coming, but it was worth the wait.

04-04-14

Bye bye family!

Bruce and the kids departed for a Key Club conference in Seattle for the weekend.  This is the T-shirt for their group of schools.  DCON = district conference.

Empty house = R&R for Mom!

04-03-14

With being sick this week, I have really been enjoying soup.  I've had lentil soup at lunchtime and we had carrot coconut ginger soup for dinner tonight.  Love that warm feeling and knowing I am nourishing my body with good stuff.

04-02-14

Working on and showing our rental to prospective tenants this evening.  I like to say "people either get all of their deposit or none of their deposit back".  I could also say that people either love or hate our little one bedroom duplex.  One person treated it with absolute disdain, another gushed about all the great features.  The yin and yang of our landlording adventure.

OK, so cupboard doors might help...

04-01-14

I'm on a kick right now where I have "just one" when it comes to sweets.  Trying to find better moderation with my sugar adoration.

There were purple chocolates at the Relay for Life meeting.  I didn't even tempt myself with just one; I passed them along to Anastasia, where a pile of wrappers accumulated.

It's fun seeing her captain a team.  So enthusiastic contrasted against my sicky self.